Other treatment types

There are a number of ways we can help you to start or grow a family. What you need will depend on your individual situation: it could be surrogacy, fertility preservation, egg freezing, help from donors, surgery, or embarking on a natural cycle to try to have a child.

If you’re not sure which options are best for you, call us at the clinic, and we can talk through what you need. Whatever your journey, there are a few key stages that apply to everyone who comes to the clinic for treatment.

Preliminary tests and screening
To make the best decision about your treatment in the consultation, your doctor may need the results of some tests. There are blood tests, a vaginal ultrasound scan to assess your ovaries, and a semen assessment where appropriate. Your GP may do the tests at the time of referral, or you can arrange an appointment yourself with a specialist nurse at the clinic.

Initial Consultation
At your first consultation with your fertility doctor, you discuss medical history and test results. If appropriate your doctor will do an internal ultrasound scan to assess your ovaries and pelvic area. The doctor outlines a programme of treatment based on your personal results and circumstances.

Counselling is available at any stage of your treatment pathway. Fertility treatment is a significant emotional journey for all patients, and counselling provides extra emotional support. It is completely confidential. If you were going to use donated eggs or sperm for your treatment, then we recommend you see the counsellor before starting treatment to discuss the genetic implications surrounding your treatment.

You will need to attend an appointment with a member of our nursing team to run through paperwork and your particular treatment programme. There are many different types of programmes and one will be prescribed that suits you best. They will explain all the consent forms that you need to sign, and if needed also shows you how to take any drugs you’ll be using during the treatment process. Once all the tests and consent forms are completed you will be ready to start your treatment. If you are having treatment as a couple, both of you will need to attend this appointment to sign the consent forms. If you are funding your own treatment you will now need to pay for your treatment programme.

Your treatment will be mapped out by your consultant, and there are nuances to each and every person’s journey that are impossible for us to detail here. However you can rest assured that you will be looked after with utmost care and compassion by a highly experienced team, who know just how to care for you.